Barriers Impeding the Deployment and Uptake of Solar-powered Cold Storage Technologies for Postharvest Loss Reduction in Tomato Value Chain in Africa: Empirical Evidence from Tanzania.

Abstract

In Tanzania, the production of tomatoes is one of the most important economic activities accounting for more than half of the total exports of vegetables. Despite the sector’s economic significance, post-harvest tomato losses remain very high, with almost 50 percent of fresh tomatoes produced by small-scale farmers spoil before reaching destination markets and consumers due to poor post-harvest management. Lack of cold storage facilities is one of the leading causes of massive post-harvest tomato losses, negatively affecting farmers’ incomes and the sector’s economic contribution. In recent years, the adoption of solar-powered cold storage technologies has proved to hold great potential for preventing losses of tomatoes after harvest, especially for small-scale farmers in off-grid locations. However, in several parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, the deployment of solar-powered cold storage technologies is limited, leaving the vast majority of rural small-scale farmers without access to such facilities. Though the emergence of solar-powered cold storage technologies is particularly important in Tanzania, very little has been explored to understand how to improve access to these technologies for small-scale farmers experiencing high levels of postharvest food losses. This lack of research hampers government efforts to tackle the post-harvest food loss problem for high perishable food products, including fresh tomatoes. This study aims to examine barriers impeding the deployment and uptake of solar-powered cold storage technologies for tomato farmers in Tanzania and explore how state and non-state actors can intervene to improve access to such facilities for off-grid farming communities in Tanzania and beyond. The results show that the deployment of solar-powered cold storage technologies is constrained by limited awareness, high investment costs, low-paying capacity among farmers, and consumer preference for non-refrigerated foods. Findings also reveal that addressing many of the barriers identified demands promoting policies and programs that will attract and retain investment in solar-powered cold storage technologies, improving technology affordability through flexible payment arrangements, and increasing public awareness of the financial and environmental benefits of adopting solar-powered cold storage technologies. The study concludes that with adequate government support coupled with a favorable policy environment, small-scale farmers in Tanzania can widely adopt solar-powered cold storage technologies.